Fruit-gatherer



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(No Model.)

VW. P. WADSWURTH.

FRUIT GATHERER.

PatentvedNov. 2 1, 1893.

is a specification.

fing horizontal openings UNITED STATES WILLIAM If. wADswoRTH, oF

FRUIT-GATHERER.

SPECI'FIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,00*?, datedNovember 21, 1893. I" Appnmanneasepamtai5,1892. sentano. 445.981. @romanTo all whom 'it may concern.- u

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. WADS- WORTH, a lcitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Zolfo, in the county of lDe Soto and State ofvlFlorida, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Gatherer, of which thefollowing This invention relates to certain new and usefulV improvementsin fruit gatherers and has for its object, to provide such aconstruction and arrangement of parts that the fruit may be readilygathered and be uninjured during `its transportation or transfer fromthe point of gathering to a suitable receptacle below, and with thisobject in view the invention consists of the construction andarrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved deviceshown in position for gathering on the line 0o. Fig. view of the device.line fy. y. Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several gnres.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a base consisting ofa series of inclined bottom trusses 2, upon which are secured angularlydisposed arms 3, having the ends 4: thereof mortisedor cut away and hay#5, extending there#` 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan Fig. 1t is a section on thes through. In' the mortised cutaway portions of the arms 3, are mountedadjustable legs 6, having slots 7, in the upper portions,V thereofthrough which are passed bolts with clamping nuts 8 thereon, and belowsaid slot 7 ,are

formed shoulders 9. The adjustability of the legs 6 may be convenientlyemployed to compensate for the irregularity ofv the surfaces upon whichthe device may rest and thereby sustain the same in perpendicular stableposition. At the central intersection of the arms 4, a steel plate 10,of circular form is mounted and provides a turn-table from the center ofwhich rises a post 11, extending through the arms and into the centralintersecting portion of thetrusses 2. 0n the said post 11, is mountedthe .central standard 12,

the latter being adapted to freely rotate ifso `frame 15.

desired and having a toothed wheel 13, se-

-PATENT OFFICE.

of the wheel 13 and thereby properly fruit. Fig. 2 is a section`standard 12.

the under side of the platform 16, provided with a pair of the rollers26,'and by Y ZoLFo, FLORIDA.

cured tov its lower *pend and bearing on the plate l10, `when inY'proper position. To one portion of one of the arms 3 is secured aspring actuated pawl 14 adapted to engage the tleleg o the standard 12in its adj ustedy position. the standard 12 is mounted a platform sistsof alower platform 16, with'under crossstrips 17 and uprights or posts18,the said posts 18 and the cross-strips 17, being bound to each otherby steel bands 19, in addition towhat other fastenings may be employedto securely and On one side of the frame 15, and extending from theupper portion of one of the end posts 1S,`obliquely downwardly to thelateral extenion of one of the cross strips 17, is a trough 20,constructed of suitable fabric or cloth and having an opening 21, in thelowermost end thereof. On a portion of the posts 1S are mounted crosssills 22, which project at their opposite ends vbeyond the said postsand on which is mounted an upper platform'25, said platform and crosssills supporting under strips 24 and 25, disposed respectivelytransversely and longitudinally of of the platform 23and arranged inT-shaped form. The strip 25` supports a pair ofrrollers 26, fixed insaid strips by means of suitable castings to have a free rotation andadapted toV engage a groove in the adjacentside ofthe The said standardis provided on its opposite sides with grooves 27, and a cross sill 22nearest the said standard is in like manner provided with apair ofrollers 26 similar to those mounted in the strip 25. In like mannerthetwo cent-ral strips 17,1ixed to are each this means it will be s eenthat the movement of the ,frame 15 and thereby more readily adj ustedeither in elevating or lowering the same.v Each of the `platforms 16 and23,is formed with an opening through which the standard 12 extends, andon thelower portion of the said standard-are op^` positely disposedstops 27X, adapted to be contacted. by the inner strips 17 of theplatform 16 and limit the downward movement ofthe 1n one set of theprojecting ends of the frame v15, which is vertically adjustable andcon- {irmly hold the parts together. y

the iider side entire is made more sensitive foo crosssills` 22, ismounted a cross-bar 28, and in the opposite set of the projecting endsof said sills is mounteda windlass'29, having an operating crank handle30, and a ratchet 31, adapted to be engaged by a pawl 32, mounted on theplatform 23 in relative position thereto and adapted to lock the ratchetwheel 3l against movement. A suspending rope 33 of suitable nature isconnected to the io cross-bar 28, at one end and passes up over a pulley34 in the upper portion of the standard .12, and thence downward to thewindlass 29,around which it may be wound or unwound as found necessaryand desirable. It will be r observed that the crank handle 30 of thewindlass 29 is located in convenient operating positionl to the platform16, and by this means the operator may stand on the said platform 16,and elevate or lower the frame 15. to any 2a desired height. By thismeans and through the revolving construction of the standard the whichit desired to clip the fruit.

From the lower part of the standard 12, extends an at a right angleioned spool 37, consisting of an outer clothcovering with a filling ofhair or analogous material. To the upper part of the standard issecuredl another arm 37X, which is parallel with the arm 36 and hassecured thereto a guide cord or rope 38, which extends through thetrough 2O and has its lower ends secured to the arms 35. A series ofrings 39 are connected at opposite sides to ropes or cords 40, 4osecured to the underportion of one end of the frame 15 and also /to thatportion of the arm 35 around thesp/ool 37, said rings beingsurrounded/byianet work tube 41, and by this .,Mmeansthe fruit as itpasses through the open` ing 2l in the trough 20, is conveyed to` andthrough the spool 37, and said rings, are elevated or lowered toplacethe tube in proper position as the frame 15 is elevated or lowof therings 39 is provided with 5o a sleeve 42 which is mounted on the guidecord or rope 38 and acts to properly hold the rings in line and keep thetube supported by said rings from swaying, also to assist in theelevation and lowering of the said tn be'as the "'55 frame 15 iselevated or lowered. When the rmgs 39 are lowered theydrop down over thespool 37 and carry the tube therewith and are thereby always arranged inproper position to be raised directly over the spool.V

A suitable sizer may be placed under the arm 35,.to receive the fruitafter it passes through the spool 37, or a suitable box or receptaclemay be placed under said arm.

The parts of the entire device may be conving of aportable nature.

vsaid arms,

a supporting mounted upon lower radial arm, a platfor-m slidably mountedThe gatherer-herein before set forth is especially adapted for gatheringoran gesand is to be moved from one tree to another, it bestood however,that the gatherer maybe used in picking other fruits equally as Well asin picking oranges.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In afruit gatherer, the combination with a supporting base, of a standardrotatably mounted upon said base, a platform vertically adjustable uponsaid-standard, a conveyer supported by said platform, and elevatingdevices for raising and lowering the platform,substantially asspecified.

2. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a base provided with radialarms, supporting legs adjustably connected' to the terminals of aclamping 'device for securing said arms to the supporting legsv in thedesired relative-positions, a rotatable standard mounted upon said base,a platform slidably mounted upon the standard and provided with suitableelevating devices, andv a conveyer supported by the platform andprovidedy at the plane of the latter with a suitable 1 receiving trough,substantially as specified.

3. In a fruit gatherer, the combination with base, of a standardrotatably said base and provided with'a upon said standard and providedwithV suitable elevating devices adapted to be operated from theplatform, a receiving trough carried by the platform, an extensibleconveyer tube communicating at its upper end with said receiving troughand connected at its lower end to the said radial arm, and stopdovicesecured to the standard slightly above the plane of the radial armto limitV the downward movement of the platform, substantially asspecified.

4. 1n a fruit gatherer, the combination of a base, a standard rotatablymounted onfsaid base, a frame adj ustably mounted upon. said standardand having a trough'. in connection therewith, a padded spool supportedatthe lower portion of said standard, and aA netted tube in line withsaid spool and adapted' to rise-and fall with the said frame,substantially as. described. 5

5. In a fruit gatherer, the combinationl of a standard, a framevertically adjustableon said standard and having a trough in connectiontherewith with an opening'in one kend thereof, arms projecting from theupper and lower portions of said standard, a cord or rope connectingsaid arms, a padded spool mounted in the lower arm, cords extending fromthe under side of the trough downward to opposite sides of the spool,rings attached to said cord and provided with sleeves mov ably mountedon the cord orrope connecting 'the upper and lower arms ofthe standard,

and a net Work tube surrounding said rings, substantially as described.

6. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a It will be under- IOO IIO

base having adjustable feet and a central plate to form a tu rrrtablewith a post centrally rising therefrom, a' standard rotatably mounted onsaid post'and having a toothed wheel at itsA lower end adapted to beengaged by a pawl and the opposite sides thereof formed with grooves, aframe mounted on said standard and' adjustable vertically consisting ofupper and lower platforms under which are' located rollers engaging thegrooves of the standard, a windlass mounted on one side of the frame,

a pulleyin the upper end of the standard-and

